Stories of
American Heroes -
Brought to you from the "Home of Heroes" - Pueblo, Colorado

Robert H. Dietz

TAPS

Fading light dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky,
Gleaming bright.
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, From the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Then good night, Peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn
Shineth bright,
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, good night.

Wiltwych Rural Cemetery

Born:
1921 at Kingston, NY

Entered
Service in the US Army from Kingston, NY

Earned The Medal of Honor During World War II For heroism
March 29, 1945 at Kirchain, Germany

Died:March
29, 1945 at the age of 24

Staff Sergeant
Dietz was a squad leader when the task force to which his unit
was attached encountered resistance in its advance on Kirchain,
Germany. Between the town's outlying buildings 300 yards
distant, and the stalled armored column were a minefield and two
bridges defended by German rocket-launching teams and riflemen.
From the town itself came heavy small-arms fire. Moving forward
with his men to protect engineers while they removed the
minefield and the demolition charges attached to the bridges,
Staff Sergeant Dietz came under intense fire. On his own
initiative he advanced alone, scorning the bullets which struck
all around him, until he was able to kill the bazooka team
defending the first bridge. He continued ahead and had killed
another bazooka team, bayoneted an enemy soldier armed with a
panzerfaust and shot two Germans when he was knocked to the
ground by another blast of another panzerfaust. He quickly
recovered, killed the man who had fired at him and then jumped
into waist-deep water under the second bridge to disconnect the
demolition charges. His work was completed; but as he stood up
to signal that the route was clear, he was killed by another
enemy volley from the left flank.